Production of color music and other luminous effects and apparatus therefor



A. B. HECTOR.

PRODUCTION OF COLOR MUSIC AND OTHER LUMINOUS EFFECTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 19111. RENEWED JULY 11. 1922.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Wl/l/l/l/IA G w A, B. HECTOR.

PRODUCTION OF COLOR MUSIC AND OTHER LUMINOUS EFFECTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE8, 19117- RENEWED JULY II, 1922.

Bass Keys a W Ci w" 2 If U I; 552 w R 21E 53 U 32 4 I: 5

w NE L 8/ Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Whlfc L 19 hf Vl'olef B/ue Greeh Yellow Orange Red Red

Orange Yellow Green Blue VIolef No (Imp [/zI/en for ilszz'alza erfl 12490 for A. B. HECTOR.

PRODUCTION OF COLOR MUSIC AND OTHER LUMINOUS EFFECTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, I9II7- RENEWED JULY 11, 1922.

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4 72:124., CW9: g/Qww A. B. HECTOR.

PRODUCTION or com MUSIC AND OTHER LUMINOUS EFFECTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

PLICATION FILED JUNE 19ll7- RENEWED JULY 11. 1922.

Pat

P 1,432,553. ented 0ct.17, 2.

v 4 SHEEIS -SHEE UNYTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AK'USTRALIA.

THEREFOR.

13.1625. June 8, 1531?,

mucus. BUnNETr mg of Great Britsh, Sydney, in Welles, Common- .alie, hove invented certain Improvements lfil the Proiusic and 'Other Lur iuous uratus -nerefor, of W nich specification. relates to improvements in color music enclother olar and apparatus colors lien mathematical musical notes produce 7 ol harmony motile musical ormony g ro 37 prior P were tor. s. L; 2 elation "Went-ion consists ii '4 of a color scale secondly nit-ism keyed Ll ins: ently utilized to ob '1 conjunuction W" thirdly. in the d ffusion light street m1.

Serial 1 50. 173,671. Renewed July 7th octave.

Middle octave.

1st octave.

7th octave.

Middle octave.

1st octave.

Middle Bass notes.

Middle Bass notes.

@LEJEJEEl BURNETT HECTOR, OF GREENWICH, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW $GUTH WALESl,

COLQR MUSIC QTHER LUMINOUS EFFECTS AND APPARATUS 1922. Serial No. 574,283.

Table A.

Treble notes.

3 light violet.

UnAHNhmUJ dark blue. blue violet. violet.

and yellowish and yellowish Table B.

Treble notes.

12 white or light fluorescent tints.

Light violet Spaced in same ratio as able A.

li ht red.

Dark red dark violet] Blackness.

(No lamps attached.)

In the accompenyin drawings,

Figure l is a side 6 ovation partly in tion of a switch of a piano player i switch contacts according to my inventi and ufiapted to be utilized in connection my color scale.

series of electric contacts Figure 2 is a side elevation of an auriliary bellows, its connection with the main bellows and the contacts for obtaining variations in the intensit of the light in sympathy with the variations in sound intensity.

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating an alternative apparatus for operating a rotary type of regulating switch to obtain the same result.

Figure 4: is a diagrammatic view illustrating. in a simplified form, the general pr1nciples of the complete system.

Figure 5 is a general perspective view of an apparatus for a-normal instrument of seven octaves provided with one bank or unit of lights, showing how it may be operated on by a piano or organ, either alternately or simultaneously.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one unit of the portion of the system for varying the intensity of the light.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of so much of the complete system as is required for cooperation with three keys of the musical instrument.

In Figure 4 is illustrated diagrammati- (-ally a system comprising a source of electric energy 30 and a circuit leading therefrom, said circuit including voltage varying means 31 and a series of differently colored lamps 21 connected in parallel and controlled respectively by circuit closers 32 operated by the keys 33 of the piano, organ, or other instrument. The voltage varying means 31 is. as hereinafter more fully explained. operated by the means for varying the volume of sound produced by the instrument. The lamps 21, in their relationship to the keys 33, are arranged in accordance with the color scale above set forth in Table A or Table B. It will be understood that in Figure 4 only a selected few of the keys 33 distributed throughout the scale, and their connected lamps 21, are shown. the remaining keys and lamps being omitted in order to simplify the illustration.

In Figure 1, A is art of apiano player action actuated usua ly by a player pneumatic and F a finger operated thereby. B is a series of electric spring contacts above, and M a switch placed under each key 33. (i is an ebonite or other insulating piece, D spring contacts and E a switch at the rear of the piano.

In the cabinet piano player, when the mechanical finger F of the player delivers the blow to the key 33 of the piano, the part A operating the end of finger F moves upwards to a slight extent. By arrangin a in parallel, each upward movement of the part A closes an indlvidual contact and this in turn operates an individual electric lamp or series msawa of lamps; when a piece of music is played on the mechanical player electrical contact is made for every note struck and the corresponding lamp is illuminated simultaneously, these lamps, being suitably coloured to produce the effect known as color music. Each individual switch is suitably wired with insulated wire and brought to a common distributing of the cabinet' player or other suitable position. It is also proposed to use the similar pneumatic movements of the combined piano player which operates the hammer of the piano so that when an individual note is struck an individual electric light is produced. Suitable modifications of the frame work of the combined player are made to provide for this added arrangement of switches.

board placed at the end i In my British specification No. 29615 of v 1912 I indicate how the downward movement of the piano or organ key can be utilized to close a switch M under each key, and I now wish to provide for the upward movement of the back of the key. The attached drawings will show this graphically. It will be seen that a piece of ebonite or wood G, the whole length of the piano, is supported on suitable supports. On each side are fixed a pair of spring contacts D, the number of pairs corresponding with the number of keys; on the back of each key a striker E is fixed in such a manner that when an individual key is depressed the striker causes the brass strips to make electrical contact and illuminate a lamp. It is thus possible to have three sets of lamps brought into glow simultaneously, that is, one from the cabinet piano player, one underneath the key of the piano and one at the back of the piano operated by the upward movement, so that by arranging the lamps of different candle power three different degrees of illumination are ob- .tained.

Another special improvement is the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 and which has for its object to vary the intensity of the light so that it will be in strict sympathy with the variations of the intensity of the sound produced.

To produce this result a small secondary bellows 18 is connected with the bellows A of the cabinet pla er by a tube C On the top of the secon ary bellows B is fixed a guide rodD passing through the guide block E. On one side of the bellows a series of contacts F are fixed to an insulating support G and on the other side a contact strip H is similarly supported.

As the secondary bellows become inflated or deflated electrical connection is made between the strip H and one of the contacts F through the sliding contacts J-J which are electrically connected. The respective contacts F may be arranged in circuit with the circuit closers B, M and D (Fig. 1) of the several keys so that when the contacts J, J are in one position, operation of the keys will cause circuits to be closed through the several circuit closers B; when the contacts J, J are in another position the circuits will be closed through the circuit closers M and so on, whereby, if the circuit closers B, M and D control circuits to lamps of different candle owers, movements of the contacts J, J Wi I serve to control the intensity of the li ht. Thus, as shown in Figure 6, each of t e circuit closers B, D and M is connected in series with one of the contacts F" and with a lamp 21, the several lamps 21 being of the same color but of different candle powers. In this figure the connectionsfor one key only are hown, but it'will be understood that the circuit closers B of all of the keys will control the supply of current to the respective lamps through one contact F all of the circiiit closers D will control the supply of current to the respective lamps through another contact F and that all of the circuit closers M will control the supply of current to the respective lamps through a third contn-ct id,

The same result may be accomplished with a single circuit closer and a single lamp for each key by the use of suitable voltage varying means, as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 4, inwhich case the contacts F may be connected with the terminals of a rheostat 31 or voltage varyin device.

he latter arrangement is illustrated more fully in Figure 7, 'wherein voltage varying means 31* controls the voltage of current supplied to all of the lamps 21 simultaneously, and the circuits to all of the lamps corresponding to any one key 33 are closed at once by relays or electromagx L netic switches 35 which latter are controlled respectively by the circuit closers B, D and M operated by such key.

The voltage "varying means may be of well lniown character, variable resistance being indicated in Figure l. Alterthe voltage may be varied through ency of cells which are switched in or r theaction of the bellows; or in alternating currents tappings noting compensator may be con studs F as shownat 31 in I cnipnlating larger currents rela omagnetic switches, sinii ar -s 2-35 shown Fig. 7, may be -l .iectrical devices being well lillfl the art are not shown in detail herein. The number of steps for voltage regulation is not limited, the precise number depending upon the requirements or the particular type of apparatus used. Thus, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, three contacts F, corresponding respectively to the circuit closers B, D and M are employed. In Figs. 2 and 7 five contacts F, providing for five variations of voltage, are shown. It will be clear that in the systems shown in Figs. 4 and 7 any desired number of variations might be provided for.

In the simplified forms of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. themain light circuits are directly controlled by the circuit closers 32 or B, D. and M operated by the instrument keys 33. Preferably however, and as shown in Fig. 7, the key operated switches control auxiliary circuits from a suitable source of current to the relays or electromagnetic switches which in turn control the main light circuits.

An alternative arrangement of voltage varying device shown in Figure 3, the auxiliary bellows i? being connected to'the main bellows by the pipe 0 The regulating switch D is operated by the bellows 17 through a lever or system oi levers E By these means the secondary bellows of a piano player is made tooperate a rotary type switch in order-to obtain the same result.

The lamps 21 may be provided with differently colored globes or, preferably, may be enclosed by pol shed parabolic reflectors In front of which are p aced colored screens of varying hues; the screens being made of glass, gelatine or "her suitable material. To produce etlici-cnt infusion of the colors, the lamps are made to project on to a dull white surface. To break the light and to produce pleasi. shadows, palms, iiowers, rocks, and fi nres are interposed be tween the lamps and the white s1. face. Alternately the lamps may be made to project their coloured lights on suitable semiopaqne glass strn res, such as a gothic church window or The light may the like. be transmitted through senii opaque glass or the glass may be silyercd and the light reflected.

live reg I former be er knee operate and in which current from double throw pass all electrical connections between the keys of either musical instrument 10 or 11 and the lamps 21 through a suitable connect ing cable 16*. 17 is a bellows controlled switch like that shown in Fig. 3 attached to the player piano, whereby the intensity of the current may be automatically controlled. 18 is a bellows controlled switch like that shown in Fig. 2 and attached to the organ for the same purpose. 19 is ascreen in front of which is positioned any suitable object or objects as 20 to be illuminated. The lamps 21 are shown as consisting of seven rows corresponding to seven octaves increasing in geometric roportion as regards sizes of the lamps, re ectors and distances from the screen. These rows of lamps are divided u into their various colors as exemplified in Table A.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a key-operated musical instrument and a series of color displaying devicescontrolled respectively by the Sc". eral keys of said instrument, the order of the colors displayed by said devices being, with respect to the note scale of said keys, such as to correspond to the arrangement of colors in the double rainbow, the violets being at the ends of the scale and the reds in the middle, and the colors displayed by the devices controlled by the bass notes being of darker hues than those corresponding to the treble notes.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a musical instrument provided with means for varying the intensity of sound produced thereby, a series of devices controlled by said instrument for displaying lights of different colors in acweaves trolled by each of the keys of said instrumerit, and means for selectively closing the circuit to separate lamps of dlfi'erent powers to vary the intensity of the light produced. f i

4. A key-operated musical instrument comprising, in combination, a note-sounding key pivoted intermediate its ends, circuit closing devices operated respectivel by the opposite ends of said key, a player aving a mechanical finger for striking said key, and a third circuit closing device operatively connected with said finger. I

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a pneumatically controlled musical instrument, a series of elec* trically operated devices controlled by said instrument for displaying lights of different colors in accordance with the notes sounded by said instrument, and means for varying the intensity of the light displayed by said devices, said means including a series 0 1' contacts connected with said devices, a bellows connected with said instrument and controlled by pneumatic pressure, and a contact carried by said bellows and cooperating with said first named contacts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER BURNETT HECTOR. lVitnesses:

CHARLEs E. GRAHAM, HENRY lV. CLARKE. 

